Five-year arc
2026–2031 Roadmap
Where Things Stand
February 19, 2026
- Board approved the four refreshed goals and strategies.
October 1, 2026
- The strategic plan begins in coordination with the fiscal year.
Elevate shared understanding among institutions, partners, and the broader higher education community of the enrollment and academic services ecosystem to strengthen transparent, equitable, and learner-centered institutional practices.
A: Position AACRAO as the primary source of professional knowledge in enrollment and academic services through evidence-based leadership and clear positioning.
B: Strengthen global and cross-sector partnerships to expand the influence of AACRAO beyond traditional higher-education contexts.
C: Promote policies, processes, and technologies that reduce friction, increase transparency, and enable timely recognition of learning across contexts into AACRAO standards, research, and training.
Advance evidence-based practice through applied research that informs ethical, interoperable, and effective institutional decision-making.
A: Establish AACRAO as the hub for applied, practitioner-centered research connecting theory, technology, and practice that translates into actionable guidance for institutional leaders and practitioners.
B: Advance ethical and equitable use of technology and AI in enrollment and academic services.
C: Cultivate multi-sector research partnerships that produce shared evidence and scalable models for learner success and improve institutional outcomes.
Nurture an inclusive, accessible, digitally connected professional community that supports lifelong learning, leadership development, and advancement across the AACRAO professions.
A: Build recognized credentials for broadening knowledge and skills as well as career pathways for the AACRAO core and emerging professions.
B: Deepen collaboration with state, regional, national, and global partners to form an integrated professional network.
C: Foster collaborative learning environments that promote peer exchange, skill-building, and succession within the profession.
Lead coordinated advocacy that advances higher education policies and practices equitably and effectively.
A: Position AACRAO as the trusted, data-informed voice on policy issues that shape how learning is documented, transferred, and recognized.
B: Support advocacy frameworks and awareness of emerging higher education issues that align national, state, and regional efforts around the policy priorities of AACRAO.
Impact Framework
How we know the plan is working
Every tactic in the plan is checked against one question before it counts as progress: who benefits, and how directly? The framework reads as follows:
“If we are successful with the strategic plan, then members, institutions, learners, the field, and AACRAO itself will each see a specific, measurable change.”
Members
Clearer career pathways, credentials that signal real skill, and a stronger, more connected professional community.
Institutions
More interoperable systems, evidence-based practices, and shared data standards that reduce friction between campuses.
Learners
Faster, more transparent recognition of their learning as it moves across institutions and contexts.
Field
Common standards and shared evidence that raise the credibility and consistency of the profession nationally.
AACRAO
A more sustainable, data-informed association with the capacity to keep leading on members’ behalf.
New knowledge & guidance
- A FERPA database
- A growing library of publications: trend-based white papers, an “Ask a Consultant” series, and a new book on data-driven SEM planning
- A standing series of plain-language explainers translating federal/state policy and court decisions into “what this means for your role”
- An “Ask the International Expert” resource for applied, scenario-specific credential evaluation guidance
- A recurring AI governance clinic and a published AACRAO Ethical AI & Technology Use Framework
- Practitioner-authored research and case studies on equitable AI adoption in enrollment and academic services
- Regular AACRAO Consulting trend reports on enrollment management and higher ed best practices
New credentials & career pathways
- A skills-based, stackable credentialing program built on the AACRAO Competency Set, with a foundational on-demand track for newcomers to the field
- A tiered credentialing pathway for international credential evaluation practitioners
- A credential recognizing members who lead a completed SEM plan
- Expanded FERPA credentialed training modules and faculty development
- Continued ACE/MTEP pathway for translating military training into degree credit (serves learners directly, and the institutions/veterans they support)
New ways to connect and be heard
- A structured Community College track: dedicated SEMQ column, webinar/Community of Practice series, and clearer SEM-EP marketing as the premier community college credential
- Co-produced webinars and small-format events with state & regional (S&R) associations
- A formal channel for member feedback to shape AACRAO’s research and policy agenda
- Clearer, more transparent nominations and elections processes, and new pathways for non-voting members (students, corporate, affiliate, organizational) to get involved
- A refined Assembly “pods” model for ongoing collaborative learning between conferences
- A growing, better-produced AACRAO podcast library
Easier access to what AACRAO already knows
- A single, searchable member knowledge database pulling together research, policy statements, journals, and other AACRAO assets (replacing today’s scattered resources)
- A modernized demographics report reflecting the field’s actual current makeup
- A redesigned publications framework with editorial support/mentorship to help more members get published
- An expanded, better-integrated AACRAO Jobs Board tied to competencies and real career pathways
Business/consulting access
- Expanded tiered pricing on AACRAO Consulting services, making them accessible to a wider range of institution sizes/budgets
- A new consulting service line connecting enrollment strategy to workforce outcomes
- Playbooks, short courses, and “Evidence-to-Action” learning pathways translating multi-sector partnership research into implementation-ready tools
- An integrated learning-recognition standards framework with practical tools for reducing friction and improving interoperability
- Institution-facing consulting incorporating improvement-science techniques for process change (from the Learning Mobility Challenge)
- Translation guides mapping higher-ed terminology to workforce/credentialing language
- The Assembly positioned as a standing, year-round learning mobility knowledge platform (not just an annual event)
- A published Learning Mobility Engagement & Impact Framework showing what the field is gaining from this work
- Continued global engagement (UNESCO, GDN, TAICEP, ARSEE, Credential Engine) extending AACRAO’s influence on international learning mobility standards
- A global consortium aligning international partners around shared data/credential standards
- A standardized framework enabling state & regional associations to act as trusted, aligned local policy voices
- Continued and expanded use of the ACE Military Guide (via MTEP) for translating military training into degree-applicable credit
- Downstream benefit from the credential-evaluation and learning mobility work above, which is aimed at making it easier for learners to have their credentials and coursework recognized and transferred
Stronger, More Diversified Revenue
- New tiered pricing models for AACRAO Consulting (AC), opening the client base to smaller/mid-size institutions
- A new AC service line connecting enrollment strategy to workforce outcomes
- Year-long, multi-tiered corporate sponsorship and partnership packages, replacing today’s smaller, less predictable arrangements
- A dedicated Business Partner Council increasing sponsor/exhibitor spend and participation
- A centralized grant prospecting and pipeline management system, increasing the volume and quality of funded proposals across divisions
- Active pursuit of grant funding specifically for learning-mobility and interoperability technology pilots
A More Efficient, Better-Run Consulting Practice
- Automated AC business processes (proposals, project tracking, client follow-up) via AI, Salesforce, and Asana — freeing consultant time for revenue-generating work
- Standardized project templates and shared resource libraries across all AC engagements
- A stronger AC blog and quarterly trend reports, building inbound lead generation and market visibility
- A more active, better-resourced Consultants Exchange community, keeping the consulting team current
Organizational Financial Health
- A documented path to a break-even (or better) annual budget after three consecutive years of net loss, with a 25% net-gain target for revenue-generating areas
- Internal AI capability adoption (Gmail, Salesforce, and beyond) to reduce cost and increase staff productivity org-wide
Stronger Governance
- Better-prepared, more engaged board members, informed by a structured board survey/feedback loop
- A more transparent, credible nominations and elections process — reducing reputational and leadership-pipeline risk
Better Internal Data & Measurement
- Standardized member data aligned to external benchmarks (IPEDS, Carnegie Classifications), removing internal data-definition inconsistencies
- A formal Member Engagement Framework and Benchmark, giving staff a consistent internal measure of what “engagement” means and how programs are performing
- ASCEND used as a live applied-research environment, feeding real practitioner data back into refining AACRAO’s own Competency Set
Strengthened Institutional Voice & Positioning
- A refreshed, better-utilized Advocacy Center (addressing currently low traffic/engagement relative to its fixed cost)
- A Public Policy Agenda explicitly aligned to learning mobility and current member needs, reducing staff time spent on issues outside AACRAO’s core focus
Quarterly Snapshot
This is the overview view of AACRAO’s live progress dashboard, refreshed quarterly by the Strategy & Planning team once the plan is underway.
